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Eclipse: Chapter Nine
Chapter Nine of Eclipse. Almost time to wrap up, but the epilogue is gonna kill. Chapter Nine Again my restlessness returned after the Gathering, as I slept in my den. More unnerving dreams with fire. They were brighter than ever before, but now I could see the StarClan cat. She was beautiful, with a spotted red and brown coat and a white underbelly. There was sadness in her eyes as she yowled the same warning again. But then, it changed. We were in a meadow, at twilight as the sun had set peacefully in the background. The sky was blue, and the world was darkening. Or was it? It almost just seemed to stay still. That same cat reappeared, and her coat seemed to be woven with stars. "Swiftstar. Listen to me." she said. "Fire and ash will soon destroy your clan. I have been a clan cat and an Ancient, and I have seen clans been torn apart and smashed together again. My name is Dappled Leaves, and I was once a medicine cat like Darkfern." "What do you know of her behavior?" I asked quietly, thinking of the end of her first real prophecy. Listen, Darkfern, you must listen! Dappled Leaves smiled. "She liked it. She liked faking the prophecies, and we let it go. But her heart has changed and her one real prophecy has jarred her to the bone. No more death prophecies..." "How are you telling me all this... Well... Clearly? I mean-" "StarClan has its limits, but I'm not a part of them anymore. When I said that I had seen clans torn apart, I mean that leaders can sometimes squabble like kits. Your task is to bring peace and help them save the cats that are most dear to them." I was startled. How could a StarClan cat possibly step away from their limits and tell me what I needed to know, and why? She responded to my silent question, to my utter surprise. "The danger here is something that the Clans have truly never seen. If I wasn't to tell you, they would never have a chance. Wake up and help RiverClan, and remember me!" The world folded up on me as it had at the Moonpool, drowning all of my senses. I gasped as I awoke, the sun shining towards my den and long shadows being cast across my nest from the hanging moss and cattails. I leapt up to find Rosepaw. She wandered sleepily out of the warriors' den, headed towards the fresh-kill pile, and I dashed towards her. "Rosepaw! Come to my den." "I'm really hungry-" "This is important. Prey can wait." I padded briskly towards my den, Rosepaw tagging behind. I sat back down in my nest, and Rosepaw basically collapsed onto the hard stone floor. "What?" "I had a dream last night that you have to hear about." "A dream... What made it so special?" She got up and sat down normally, and I could still see how sleep-deprived she really was. "A StarClan cat came, and told me exactly what I needed to know. It was amazing." Rosepaw was a lot more alert, and she looked bewildered. "I never thought you would actually say that. What did she look like?" "Dense brown and red spots, with a white underbelly." "Alright. What did she say?" "That the fire and ash was something that we had never seen before, and that my task was to get the leaders to cooperate and to lead the Clans out of the territory. Sound impossible enough?" Rosepaw rubbed one eye with her paw. "Yeah, but I think I can help you." "How?" It was my turn to be surprised. "First, I need to be a warrior, to be credible enough..." "That can be arranged." "Well, the thing is, Runningstar is more than he says. He is deathly paranoid about the prophecy. Did you see him at the gathering?" "Yeah, he was sitting right next to me, and he did seem pretty shaken. What are you getting at?" "He was talking like he was all confident and normal because he was in front of the other cats. If we arrange a conference with him and the other leaders, we wouldn't have trouble. And then there's your dream." "Thank you so much. Maybe you'll even become my deputy one day..." "Maybe. When is that ceremony going to be, by the way?" "Right now. If I delay, something will inevitably get in the way." Rosepaw almost jumped up and down like a kit about to become an apprentice. She was trying desperately to contain herself. "Perfect." "All cats that are old enough to swim join here beneath the Gathering Rock!" I yowled across camp. Most of the warriors and apprentices gathered below, along with Darkfern and several small kits. "Rosepaw, would you step up here?" Rosepaw, shivering with excitement, climbed carefully up, balancing on the tiny space that was left for her.'' '' I began to speak the words of the ceremony, thinking of how nice it was that it was my first. "I, Swiftstar, leader of RiverClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her as a warrior to you in her turn." I looked over at Rosepaw. "Rosepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of your life?" Rosepaw nodded. "I do." "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Rosepaw, from this moment you will be known as Rosepool. StarClan honors your cleverness and bravery, and we welcome you as a full warrior of RiverClan." I rested my muzzle gently on her head and she licked my shoulder, as would have been done in any other ceremony. The clan, seated below, chanted, "Rosepool! Rosepool!" and the look on Rosepool's face was joy beyond belief. Cats began to leave... "Wait!" I called out. "There is more news!" Everyone stepped back below the Gathering Rock. "Rosepool's vigil will not be possible. I have another private task for her, so don't worry if you don't see her in camp tonight. You can all go now." The clan cats left, going back to their normal duties. Rosepool and I hopped down carefully from the Gathering Rock. "Your task in place of the vigil is to help me gather the other three leaders. If we get out of here successfully, then there is no need for a vigil." I said. "Sounds good. When are we going to start doing that?" "Right now. As far as I know, there isn't much time." "Should we start with Runningstar, since he's the nearest and easiest?" "Yes. That's perfect." She and I left the camp without any further notice. Category:Fanfictions Category:Cryptic Lynx's Fanfictions